Divergence
by Becker Wein
Summary: Matthew Ackinney appears to be tirelessly working against Voldemort. Is he?


**Divergence**

Matthew Ackinney shifted position with a silent grimace. The stakeout was the longest he'd ever been on - no small wonder considering the fact he was certain the suspects would never arrive. 

The ever-vigilant Sirius Black flicked his eyes towards Ackinney. He shook his head, a slight movement to let Black know he had not spotted their 'prey'. Black made an exasperated face and went back to watching for the awaited Death Eaters. 

Three hours later, it was morning. Dylan Kiene stood and starched. Ackinney was quick to duplicate the shorter man. 

"I suppose we can consider this stakeout a failure," declared the Auror. He shrugged. "Any thoughts on why?" 

A rookie raised his hand. "Dumbledore's spy gave us bogus information?" 

"Or someone warned the Death Eaters away." Black was looking at Ackinney as he said this. 

Ackinney directed a glare of his own towards Black. "Or the double-agent is double-crossing us." 

"Don't forget, Matthew, that every mission you've been on has been a disaster or a death Eater no-show." 

"You've been on all those missions as well, Black," snapped Ackinney. 

"Enough!" called Kiene. "Everyone go home, get some rest, and report to headquarters first thing tomorrow. We'll continue picking this apart then." 

Ackinney and Black each shot the other equal looks of loathing and suspicion before they Disapperated. 

Ackinney arrived in the London flat he shared with his wife. Lila was not there, so Ackinney skipped breakfast - his culinary skills extended no farther than extremely burnt toast - and went straight to bed. When he awoke, in midafternoon, Lila was back. 

"Finally up, lazy bones?" she joked. He ignored her and walked into the bathroom. She followed. 

"James Potter took me to see his wife and child again this morning," Lila continued. Ackinney gave a noncommittal grunt as he brushed his teeth. 

"Harry's doing well, and Lily's reveling in being a mother." Ackinney grunted again. "Everyone's making such an effort to keep Harry safe and _with his mother_." 

Ackinney smiled around his toothbrush. Lila always pined for their daughter Madelia after visiting the Potters. Maddie had remained in Canada with Ackinney's Aunt Mabel when Lila came to England. 

"Have you discovered the Potters' location yet?" he asked. 

"No," Lila answered. "Dumbledore has extremely tight security around their place; even Lily wouldn't let a thing slip." 

Ackinney rinsed his mouth and went into the kitchen. He sat and picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet. Lila put a cheese sandwich in front of him. 

"Lily invited me back on tomorrow." 

Ackinney began to grunt, then turned his answer into words "I don't like you spending time with the Potters if you're not getting information on them." 

Lila exhaled loudly and slammed a cupboard door. "I didn't like staying with your Muggle aunt while I was pregnant, and I certainly don't like the idea of Maddie staying there now!" Ackinney closed the Prophet and sighed - this was a familiar conversation now and he was fairly sure he could have carried it on in his sleep. "We could have left her with Albert Wray's wife and daughter, she would have been fine with them." 

"I don't want Maddie exposed to magic until we're there to teach her properly. Wray has his own daughter's interests at heart, and could you imagine what she might pick up from the Dovers, the Wintalings!" 

Lila snorted. "That's not why and you know it. How'd you ever become a Death Eater with the way you feel for that Muggle?" 

The tall man shoved back from the table and grabbed his cloak. "I'm going to meet Wray and the others, then to Hogwarts to talk with Dumbledore - need to keep up appearances of hoping they succeed. I won't be back until sometime tomorrow, after the debriefing with the Aurors." Ackinney sighed dramatically. "Being a double-agent can be so tiring." 

Walking rapidly, Matthew Ackinney soon reached the Leaky Cauldron. He said a quick, amicable hello to Tom, the bartender, then went out back. Once he entered Diagon Alley, Ackinney made his way past Gringotts and down into the shadowy Knockturn Alley. He waylaid a nearly toothless witch selling what looked suspiciously like human toenails and jogged up an outdoor flight of steps. Pulling out a wand, Ackinney muttered an incantation. The door swung open. 

Ackinney stepped assuredly into the room beyond and tossed his cloak onto the hook - which was no longer there. 

Albert Wray's unmistakable laugh displaced the silence in the room as Ackinney bent down to retrieve his cloak. "Nice of you to join us, Mr. Ackinney," quipped Wray. "And thank you ever so much for bringing your _incredible_ sense of aim." 

Seething with barely controlled wrath, Ackinney hung his cloak on its hook, on the other side of the door. "At least someone tipped you off about the Auror stakeout at last night's attack site. Your _incredible_ security measures would have gotten you killed." 

Several Death Eaters chuckled; Lucius Malfoy was not among them. "I do believe that this meeting was called because we have business to attend to," he snapped, somehow still managing to sound imperious. 

Ackinney pulled up a chair and sat down. "Down to business, then." 

Malfoy began to speak. "our Lord Voldemort has called a meeting for all death eaters on tomorrow night. The usual time in the usual location." 

"Why?" asked a voice Ackinney didn't recognize. In the dim lighting, he couldn't even make out which person had spoken. 

"It is not for us to question Lord Voldemort's motives," said Malfoy. "However, in this instance he has given us a reason. There is a wizarding family that must be destroyed, and although I was not informed of names, I believe that they may be the Potters." 

The news was accepted easily; Voldemort had been after the Potters for some time and never seemed to be able to find them. Of course, that fact alone would make them targets. 

Ackinney was deep in thought as Malfoy dismissed the Death Eaters. Perhaps it wouldn't be such an awful idea to visit Lily Potter on Saturday. Pulling up the hood on his cloak, Ackinney Apperated near Hogsmede Station and began walking up to Hogwarts. 

Ackinney let himself into Dumbledore's office where the elderly wizard was waiting. "Good afternoon, Matthew," greeted Dumbledore. 

Ackinney smiled: he was particularly proud of his ability to smile in his enemies' faces even as he planned their immolations to the altar of evil. 

"Not so happy, though, after last night's failed raid," Ackinney responded. 

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes … I was so sure it would go well." 

"One theory points to misinformation from your spy within the Death Eaters." 

"No." Dumbledore shook his head. "Would you like some tea?" 

Ackinney accepted the wizard's offer. Dumbledore may be fool enough to share tea with his enemy, but it was good tea. "What makes you so sure you can trust him? Who is he, even?" Ackinney suspected that the traitor was Severus Snape: the man was strong enough, a Slytherin, but didn't have a strong interest in complete power like most of his order did. 

"He has given us this information at extreme risk to himself. And as such, in the interests of security, I am not at liberty to share his identity." Dumbledore offered an almost apologetic look mixed with one that signified the end to this course of conversation. 

Ackinney, in turn, offered a smile and nod. "Very sensible. You wouldn't want to lose your agent before his usefulness is finished." 

"I wouldn't want to lose this agent at all." 

"That too," said Ackinney. "I just thought you should know his information is much less likely to be trusted next time. This is the third time his intelligence has led us to some type of defeat." 

Dumbledore quite obviously did not want to continue this conversation. His face said as much. "yes, thank you, Matthew. But I must attend to school business now." 

"Of course." Ackinney left and headed for the inn down in Hogsmede. He would stay there until he needed to be at the Auror headquarters for debriefing the next day. 

~~*~~ 

Lila wasn't home again when Ackinney arrived the next day. _At the Potters' again. I can expect to hear more about Maddie tonight_. He sat down with the day's copy of the Daily Prophet. 

Lila arrived back a two hours later. Ackinney heard her call good-bye cheerily before she shut the apartment door. "Who was that?" he asked. 

"Oh, Matthew, I didn't know you were back!" she exclaimed. "I was at the Potters'." 

"I figured. Who was that?" 

"Sirius Black drove me back on his motorbike, he was visiting too." Lila sat down across from Ackinney. "He's really a character, and he seemed quite smitten with me." 

"In case you've forgotten, you are married. To me, in fact." 

She huffed. "Really, Matthew, it was only a bit of innocent flirting." He gave a questioning grunt. "And if it helps distract him from his suspicions of you!" 

"Uh-huh." 

Lila huffed again and left the room. Ackinney checked the clock on the wall. The hand labeled "Matthew" pointed to "Hurry up or you might be late!" He grabbed his cloak and Apperated to Voldemort's meeting. 

Lila was already there; in fact, Ackinney was the last to arrive. He slipped into his place, between Malfoy and Wray and across from Lila. The Death Eaters stood at attention, waiting. 

Voldemort Apperated into the clearing they stood in, a small, quaking man beside him. Ackinney quickly dropped to his knees along with the others and crawled forward. He kissed the hem of Voldemort's robes, murmuring "Master." Then he returned to his place in his circle. 

Voldemort glanced around the circle. "Have you noticed?" he asked, his quiet voice carrying an intonation of death. "Have you noticed the gap in the circle?" 

Ackinney looked. Several places left of Wray was a gap. Severus Snape's position. 

"He has betrayed us, gone over to Dumbledore. This warrants me to expedite my plans." Quiet murmurs were passed between the Death Eaters. This meant that Voldemort considered the information Snape had to be a threat in their enemy's hands. 

Voldemort began speaking again, and instantaneously his voice was the only one to be heard. "My plan calls for the destruction of James Potter, his friends, and his family. And this one may have given us the means to do so." 

"Why must we destroy them first, my Lord?" asked Malfoy, seeming to quaintly forget his admonishments not to questions Voldemort's orders. 

"There is a great power in the Potters, Malfoy," Voldemort answered in the voice of one explaining to a rather dim child. "I feel it, and I can feel it growing. I will find a way to get to them and destroy the power before it grows more. 

"Pettigrew," he snapped. "How do they plan to continue to keep their location from me?" 

"They are going to use a Secret-Keeper, m-my lord," the man stuttered. Ackinney looked at him with thinly veiled disgust. Pettigrew, Peter Pettigrew. The man was in Potter's inner circle, a traitor as much as Snape. Death Eaters didn't need that type of slime in their ranks. 

Voldemort considered Pettigrew's words. "A good plan. Potter will choose Sirius Black, of course." 

"M-maybe I could make him ch-choose me." 

Voldemort sighed heavily. "How, Pettigrew, how? I see no way for your pathetic plan to work!" 

Ackinney stepped forward, taking a chance. "My lord?" 

"Yes?" 

"I have an idea as to how Pettigrew may become the Potters' Secret-Keeper. As you have said, everyone will expect Potter to use Black." 

"I do remember saying something of the sorts." 

"Yes, sir. If Pettigrew brings this up they will guess that we will guess it to be Black. But if they make Pettigrew the Secret-Keeper and only the four know that it truly is Pettigrew…" 

"I see. Then we could bring down Black and the Potters at once. Then, I feel we will have won. Pettigrew, attempt this plan of Ackinney's. Make it work." 

"Y-yes, sir." The traitor backed away from Voldemort's side for the first time, and found himself slotted neatly into Snape's old spot. It was oddly fitting: birds and traitors of a feather must truly flock together. 

Voldemort stood thinking. Perhaps he had realized the same irony Ackinney had; perhaps he was simply giving them time to become concerned about how loyal they appeared. Whatever the reason, he was soon finished his thoughts. "Dismissed." 

~~*~~ 

Voldemort's attack on the Potters had been scheduled for Halloween night. Thanks to the treacherous Pettigrew, the Death Eaters knew that the Potter family was 'safely' stowed away in Godric's Hollow. Ackinney, Wray, and Malfoy were part of the privileged sect of Death Eaters chosen to be in Godric's Hollow that night . As such, Ackinney was there at Voldemort's defeat. 

When the Potter home blew apart, Ackinney was the first one there. Voldemort laid sprawled on his side, his wand blackened and burnt. Near him lay the child, still and quiet. 

Ackinney knelt by Voldemort. "M-master," he croaked. 

"I live still, Ackinney," Voldemort gasped. Ackinney breathed a sigh of relief. "I will have to disappear for some months, though, to regain my strength." 

"We will wait for you, master." 

Voldemort coughed, then continued. His speech was labored, intermitted with hacking coughs, coming in spurts. "Wait for me in America. I see, now, that it was not the Potters that needed destruction. But when America falls, the world will fall with them." 

"Yes, my master, my lord. We will be there." But Voldemort never heard. His body, still living, began to disappear, almost melting away. 

Wray came to stand next to Ackinney. "The others are leaving," he said. "They do not wish to be proven Death Eaters with Voldemort gone." 

Ackinney stared at the spot Voldemort had lain and picked up his master's wand. "He is not gone forever." 

"We will meet him in the States, then," Wray said. "We, together, will forever remain loyal. We will return his wand and rightful place to him." 

~~*~~ 

"And you are certain Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper, Professor Dumbledore?" 

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I am." 

"No!" Sirius Black cried out, his voice cracking. "It wasn't me!" 

"And could the Potters have changed their Secret-Keeper without your knowledge?" 

"It is possible, although highly unlikely," Dumbledore answered. He watched Black shaking his head, red-rimmed eyes desperate. "James Potter trusted Sirius Black with his life. I can't imagine him changing his mind." 

In the audience, a young tall man smiled grimly at this triumph, although anyone watching him would have assumed the smile to be one at putting the Potters' betrayer into Azkaban. The plan this man had made with his lord was working only to well. 

~~*~~ 

Matthew Ackinney smiled into his cup of tea. He still couldn't believe that this complacent old man was the only wizard his lord feared. 

Dumbledore mistook Ackinney's smile for one of joy. "So relieving to know that Lord Voldemort is gone, isn't it?" 

Ackinney fought to keep from rolling his eyes. Voldemort, vanquished by that child? Never! But he gave the answer Dumbledore expected. 

"Yes, indeed. Lila and I are leaving for Canada as soon as possible. We thought of having Maddie sent over to be with us, but -" here Ackinney nearly bit his lip to keep himself under control - "with the threat of Voldemort gone, we'll be going home to her." 

"Yes, of course, awful how all this has separated families," Dumbledore said. "We'll miss you here, Matthew. Take care." 

Ackinney nodded. "You too, Albus." They shook hands, Ackinney Disapperated, and arriving in his London flat, allowed himself a short, harsh laugh. 

He looked the room he was in and discovered he wasn't alone. "Something funny, Ackinney?" inquired Albert Wray. 

"Matthew just came from meeting with that fool Dumbledore, Wray," Lila answered sharply. "You knew that, you just needed to draw attention to yourself. Like always." 

Wray pretended to flinch. "Ah, Lila, you are the most beautiful Death Eater I've ever seen, but what a tongue!" 

"That's my wife you're talking about!" Matthew cried, indignant. How he wished needn't to work with Wray! 

Lila ignored them. "If you men all done with this ridiculous posturing, I do believe Matthew and I have a Portkey to catch." 

Wray nodded. "Send word the moment Lord Voldemort is ready to begin his plan," he said and Disapperated. 

"Oh, I will, Wray," Ackinney promised. "But you won't receive the news until I have taken your place among the Death Eaters." 

~~*~~ 

"I don't see why this is so important to you, Lila." 

Lila Ackinney sighed. "No, Matthew, you wouldn't. Or, if you did, you wouldn't want to understand. If you'd like, you can wait here, away from the big, bad Dementors." 

Ackinney glared at his wife. She was right about him rather waiting here, away from Azkaban, although she'd never expect him to admit it. But with the Dementors… 

He smiled grimly. "You want to taunt him, go ahead. I won't participate in anything our lord hasn't sanctioned." He sat back, gleefully watching her turn pale, although the determined look never left her face as she Disapperated to Azkaban. 

Lila Ackinney arrived near the high security area of Azkaban and immediately felt as though she'd been plunged into a bucket of icy cold water. She nearly bit through her lip but somehow managed to stay upright. Lila set off determinedly towards his cell. 

Nearly there, now. She could see the Dementors outside his cell; hear their rattling, sucking breath. Lila summoned up the happiest memory she had; the first time she held her infant daughter, and knew that her child could, would play such a key role in Lord Voldemort's plans. "Expecto Patronum!" she bellowed with all her strength. The Dementors slowly moved away from the force of her Patronus, taking some of their effect with them. 

Inside the cell, the man raised his eyes, already with the hollow, deadened look of a prisoner of Azkaban. He stood, feeling the departure of the ever-present Dementors, and looked out between the bars. "Lila," he said, his voice hoarse and full of disbelief. 

"Sirius," she replied. 

"I didn't do it." 

"Of course you didn't. Peter Pettigrew did. Killed himself right after he blew apart the street and killed all those Muggles. You switched Secret-Keepers without telling anyone." 

He looked shocked. "You believe me?" 

She looked shocked back. "I was there," she said. "When Pettigrew brought my Lord Voldemort the Potters' location, I was there." 

"You worked for HIM!" 

She grinned a grin full of sadistic pleasure. "I will always be a Death Eater, Black. And no one will believe you, the 'double agent,' if you try to tell them." 

The look on his face told her that he knew Lila was right. "Enjoy your stay," she said. 

She Apperated back where she had left her husband. "Are you done?" he asked impatiently. 

"Yes." 

~~*~~ 

Matthew and Lila never made it back to Canada and Lord Voldemort. Albert Wray saw to that. He knew Matthew had been plotting against him, plotting to steal Wray's place among the Death Eaters, plotting to take away the position of power offered to Wray's daughter for his own. 

That last insult was what Wray resented the most. No one-no one could take away the legacy promised to Joanna Wray, least of all Madelia Ackinney. To be sure that Madelia Ackinney would disappear from the magical world, Wray sent the girl's guardian a letter of compassion, making certain to subtly stress the danger using magic carried. The old protective crone would never allow the child anywhere near magic after Wray's letter. 

And so the Wray family packed up their belongings and moved to America, where they could be closer to the main force of Voldemort's Death Eaters 

_A/N: I'm working on having this be the proluge to a rather long alternate universe fic, but with school and needing to find myself a job … well, it may not happen._


End file.
